Electroplating apparatus and process



1.. 1.. MUELLER. ELECTROELATING APPARATUS AND PROCESS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT 8. 1921.

Patented Nov. 28, 1922.

M. M, B H 0 w A W lilll mm l I N \m m wx Wm Q QM no a 9 Q o o. Mhw M mw m ANA J. L-MUELLER. ELECTROP'LATING APPARATUS AND PROCESS.

APPLICATION HLED OCT. 8, 1921.

Patented Nov. 28, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Nov.28,1922.

JOHN J. MUELLER, OF OTTAWA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN NICKELOID COMPANY, OF PERU, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

ELECTROPLATING APPARATUS AND PROOESS..

Application filed October 8, 1921. Serial No. 506,457.

, citizen of the United States, residing at 818 a La Salle Street, Ottawa, in the county of La Salle and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electroplating Apparatus and Processes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates tocelectroplatin'g apparatus and process and is fully described.

in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical longltudinal section through the entering end of the apparatus; Fig. 1 is a continuation of Fig. 1 through the discharge end of the apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section on the line 22 of Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 is a partial section on'the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Tl'llS apparatus comprises a cleaning tank 10 and an electroplating tank 11 together with means which will be described for continuously cleaning and electroplating long strips of sheet metal. To this end, a reel 12 is mounted upon a shaft 13 which is suit ably journalled on the frame 14 which also serves to support the tanks 10 and 11.

Rollers 15 and 16 are suitably journalled above and at the ends of the cleaning tank 10. Rollers 17 and 18 are journalled within the tank 10 and below the level of thecleaning liquid therein.

The sheet of metal 19 is unwound from the reel 12 and passes between the gripping rolls 15 and 15 under. the rolls 17 and 18 and between the gripping rolls 16 and 16 The sheet 19 then passes between the grip ping rolls 20 and 20 and around under the rollers 21 and 22 which are journalled beneath the level oftheelectroplating fluid in tank 11. It then passes .up between the gripping rolls123 and 23 and 24 and 24 and thence through between the heated-pairs of rolls 25, 26, 27 and 28 and on to the re-winding reel 29 which is secured to a shaft 30 which is continuously driven by any suitable means, as by a pulley 31 and a belt 32.

The cleaning compound used in the tank 10 may be of any-suitable composition and where it is desired that the sheet shall be given an initial coat of metal suitable anodes 33 are connected to the positive side of a suitable source of electric current represented by the generator 34 while the metal pipes 35 and 36 thereby washing the cleaning compound from the sheet before it passes on the electroplating tank 11.

This tank has a series of annode plates 37 lying beneath the metal strip 19 which are connected to the positive side of a suitable source of electric 'current represented by the generator 38, the negative side .of the generator being connected to the metal rollers 20.

and 23. It will thus be seen that the circuit will be completed by the metal strip 19 which makes contact with the metal rollers 20 and 23 and that with a suitable electrolyte in the tank 11 metal will be deposited'u'pon the strip 19 particularly on the underside of this strip which is nearest to the anode plates 37.. As the plate 19 emerges from the tank 11 and passes between the rolls 23 and 23 a large part' of the electrolyte will be squeezed from the sheet and run back into the tank. A small amount, however,,will

. stick to the sheet and will be washed off by a spray of water from the pipes 39 and 40 which lie between the, pairs of rolls 23, 23 and 24, 24

The sheet then passesbetween the pairs of rolls 25, 26 and 27, 28 which are internally heated in any suitable manner and which are held firmly in contact with the sheet 19. Buffing wheels 41 and 42 are mounted upon shafts 43 and 44 respectively and are driven by any suitable source (not shown) at a much higher rate of speed than the rolls 25, 26 and27, 28 so as to keep them highly polished.-

It will thus be seen that the metal strip 19 as it travels from the reel 12 through the apparatus from left to right is cleaned, washed, electroplated, washed and dried and is then wound upon the rewinding reel pose I have provided a series of disk-likerollers 45 which are mounted upon a shaft 46 as shown in Fig. 2 and which are placed 29.in a series of operations which are con- 1 immediately over rollers 47 which, like the rollers 17, 18, 21, 22, are non-metallic and non-conductors of current. The disks 45;are-

made of metal and are covered with a coat ing 48 of asphaltum or the like, except upon their peripheries. Electrical contact'is thus permitted between the disks45 andthe sheet 19 and deposit of metal is prevented upon the disks 45 except on their "peripheries.

The shaft 46, as shown in Fig. 2, isconnected to the source of current 38 wire 49.

WhileI have shown anddescribed certain embodiments of my invention, it is to be by means of a understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in theconstruction and arrangement may be made without departing from-the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in the appendof electrocurrent the negative side of which isconnected to the ends of said strip extendv, i'ng out of said tank and the positive to said ,fanode plates/and a rolling contact connecting 'the negative to said strip within the tank.

2 A machine 'for continuously electroplating metal strips comprising a tank,-

anode plates in said tank, a suitable source of electrocurrent the negative side of which is connectedto the ends of said strip extending out of said tank and the positive to said anode plates, a rolling contact connecting the negative to saidstrip within the tank and a roller supporting said strip in contact with said rolling contact.

3. A machine for continuously electroplating metal strlps comprising a tank, anode plates in said tank, a suitable source of electric current the negativeside of which is connected to the ends of said strip extending out of said tank and the positive to said anodeplates and a rolling contact connecting the ne ative to said strip withinthe tank, said ro ling contact being substantially covered with an insulating substance except on its periphery.

4. The process of continuously plating an imperforate strip of metal consisting of continuously passing said strip through an electrolyte, applying an electric current thereto at a plurality of points while in the electrolyte,. washing and drying said strip after being' plated and Winding said strip on a reel.

5. The rocess of continuously plating an imperforate strip of metal consisting of continuously passing said strip horizontally through an electrolyte, applying an electric current thereto while in the electrolyte,

Washing and drying said strip after being plated and Winding sltTriplppEireifjl. 

